Overworld
IMHO, the overworld isn't very exciting. There are a few achievements that can only be gotten here, and they can only be gotten through random chance. There are few encounters that can give you good loot, like Death. And there are some ambushes that can surprise and knife you with an unfortunate combination. But for the most it's just a nuisance. On your way back you may want to try and take the safe option (ignore, walk away, etc) unless you're certain there's no risk. Sucks to have your effort of defeating a dungeon being squashed by a bad random encounter. Puppy If you feed it, you may get a fight with an Anglerwyrm. Anglerwyrm has high earth / medium water defense. Weak to air. Deals earth. Inflicts bleed. Can be burnt, softened. Dog Throw a stick can lead to loot. Adventurer Help him to fight a fairly simple troll. It has medium defense against water, high defense against earth. Heals itself. Deals bleed. Strange Egg Look beneath: you found something shiney (loot, no fight) Flying Polyp Attack it, leads to a fight, unlocks achievement. Ignore seems to always work if you're not looking to fight it. Old Color Snail Gives you clues about dungeons. Arcane Armory: Prepare yourself for enemies that stun and make you soft. Alchemists have spells and heal. Use phoenix weapons. The Nerd Pick Dark Castle for loot and xp. Never gave me problems. A Well Reach in to it, look at stones, drink from it, it all usually leads to nothing. Fly Swarm Run through them usually ends in a fight. Lure them away sometimes gets a fight, sometimes gets you away. Getting away four times gets you an achievement (you don't need to "run" for it). Burning can get you into a fight. Not sure about probabilities. Green Pipe Reach into it can lead to small loot, a fight with three mushrooms, or nothing. They just bite and inflict poison. Death Either you fight him or you don't. The fight is Death with two small bugs. The key is to stun him because he will 1ko you. IF you can stun him, go ahead and fight him. He drops a pretty sweet weapon which can carry you hard early game. If you don't, well that depends on whether you have confuse (not sure if that works actually and it still has a chance to go wrong), curse (works but is just a chance to miss), or inviz (also chance to hit). So stun or bust. Great opportunity to end a game early with a crappy party :) Red Tentacle If you dance, you may get reward or you may get fight. If you watch you may get nothing or you may get fight. Meh. Ninja Talk to her. It either gives you reward or nothing. Pretending not to see her ends in nothing. Storm Giant Pretend sometimes let's you get away, sometimes results in a fight. Attack is a fight. Bribe sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. Orpheus Take the red or the blue pill... ;) Red pill once let me go with xp, taking both resulted in a random fight. Unknown Creature Stare back sometimes gives xp sometimes a fight. Attack is a fight. Ignore is nothing. Rotten Corpse Prepare burial and Search tree both can result in reward or fight. Ignore is safe. Anthill Some options are obvious. Skyborn Guard can lead to fight or to xp, attack is fight, refuse can be fight or nothing. The skyborn deals phys. Skyborn cart Help can lead to fight or xp, attack is fight, ask about goods can lead to nothing, refuse can lead to fight. Bandits They're bluffing pansies. Give them loot is meh. Fight them may lead to a weak fight or just a win. Ignore them is also safe. Mushroom Eating or cutting it down is random xp or fight. Ignore is safe.